Basket-style article carrier



July 11, 1967 E. J. GRASER 3,330,441

BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EARL J GRASE ATTORNEY July 11, 1967 E. J. GRASER 3,330,441

BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Dec 5, l965 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. EARL J GRASER FIG-5 A %Zh%$ A T TORNEV July 11, 1967 a. .s. GRASER BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.

FIG-1 INVENTOR. EARL vJ GRASER ,ZV 'L/LA/ ATTORNEY July 11, 1967 E. J. GRASER 3,330,441

BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

EARL J GRASE/P FIG'E ATTORNEY July 11, 1967 GRASER 3,330,441

BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

[[6 if EARL J GRASER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,330,441 BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER Earl J. Graser, Monroe, La., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Olinkraft, Inc., Monroe, La., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 511,416 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-113) The present invention relates to packaging and relates in particular to a multicell basket-style article carrier having side walls, end walls, a bottom wall and a centrally disposed upwardly projecting handle panel formed with suitable hand access openings.

A particular feature of the present invention is the provision of an article carrier of the above general class where the cell structure within the body of the carrier is formed by a network of transverse partitions where the upper edge of margin of the carrier side walls and end Walls and the corresponding upper margins of the transverse partitions all intersect or lie in a common plane.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a novel blank structure from which a basket-style carrier of the type under consideration may be fabricated.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a basket-style article carrier having a plurality of article receiving cells or units where the top margins of the transverse partitions, side walls and end walls define straight horizontal lines when the carrier is in the erect condition.

A basket-style article carrier over which the present invention is an improvement is shown and described in US. Patent 2,844,280, issued July 22, 1958 to William A. Ringler.

A basket-style multicell article carrier embracing certain principles of the present invention may comprise a body portion having opposed side walls and end walls, said end walls terminating centrally of the body portion in mating divider flaps, a multi-ply handle structure connected to the divider flaps and transverse partition straps extending outwardly from opposite sides of the handle structure connecting with opposed side walls, the top edges of said walls and the top edge of said partition straps lying in a common plane.

A blank useful for fabrication into a multicell basketstyle bottle carrier having side walls and bottom walls panels including end wall panels formed with central divider flaps may comprise a combined multi-ply handle and partition section hinged to one central divider flap, said handle section comprising an external ply hinged directly to said divider flap and an internal ply hinged to the extended ply, said internal ply supporting a plurality of transverse partition straps, each strap having a generally rectangular configuration and terminat ing in an anchor tab, at least two edges of each said strap being generally parallel to the top edge of a mating said side wall panel.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the blank of FIG. 1 after the first fabricating step;

FIG. 3 shows the second fabricating step;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the finished carrier in the collapsed condition;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as observed in the plane of the lines 5-5 shown at FIG. 4 when the carton is in the erect condition;

Patented July 11, 1 967 "ice FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the erect carton;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a blank showing a modification;

FIG. 8 is a similar to FIG. 7 and illustrates the first fabrication step;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the second and third fabrication steps; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the fully fabricated erect carrier.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6, the reference numeral 11} designates a one piece blank having side wall panels 11 and 12 hinged to bottom wall panels 13 and 14; end walls 16 and 17 are hinged to opposed ends of side wall 11 while end wall panels 18 and 19 are hinged to opposed ends of side wall 12.

In well known fashion, central divider flaps 21, 22, 23 and 24 are hinged to mating end wall panels.

Central divider flaps 2'1 and 23 are each hinged to a handle-partition assembly each indicated generally by the reference numerals 26 and 27.

Score lines 28 and 29 designate the hinges between the assemblies 26 and 27 and their mating central divider flaps 21 and 23.

The dotted lines shown throughout the drawings are intended to designate score lines or hinge lines in conventional fashion while the hatched areas denote glue.

The assemblies 26 and 27 are severed from the main body of the blank by a through cut indicated by the solid lines 31 and 32.

Small necks or bridges of uncut material are indicated by the reference numerals 33-33; these bridges are used to maintain position of the blank elements during fabrication. The bridges 33 are sheared or torn in the usual way during fabrication steps.

The assemblies 26 and 27 are identical, in fact, the blank 10 is completely symmetrical about score line 34; correspondingly, only that portion of the blank appearing above score line 34 as viewed in FIG. 1 will be described.

Handle-partition assembly 26 includes external panel 36 hinged to divider flap 21 at score line 28 and is formed with finger access tabs 37 and 38 each hinged by score line 39. Score line 41 operates to hinge interior handle panel 42 and is formed with finger access openings or cut outs 43 and 44.

The interior panel 42 supports a plurality of transverse partition straps. For example, a partition strap 46 having anchor tab 47 is hinged to panel 42 by score line 48.

In corresponding fashion tranverse partition strap 49, having anchor tab 51, is hinged to handle panel 42 at score line 52.

The blank of FIG. 1 is fabricated by first applying glue in accordance with the pattern shown in FIG. 1.

Next, interior panels 42 and 53 are rotated about their respective score lines to the position shown in FIG. 2.

Additional glue is then applied in accordance with the hatching shown in 'FIG. 2.

Next, end walls 17 and 19 including their hinged central divider flaps 22 and 24 are rotated inwardly about their respective score lines to the position shown in FIG. 3.

In corresponding fashion central partition flaps 21 and 23 are rotated inwardly about their score lines to partially overlay adjacent internal handle panels.

Thereafter additional glue is applied in accordance with the hatching representations of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows the completed carrier wherein the portion of the blank of FIG. 3 falling below central hinge line 34 is rotated upwardly into a face to face relationship relative to the upper portion of the blank to generate a collapse fully fabricated carrier.

3 In the condition shown in FIG. 4 the necks or bridges 33 remain connected as in FIG. 1.

Upon erecting the collapsed blank in the usual fashion, the necks 33 are sheared and the body of the carrier takes the form shown in FIG. 5 and the perspective View of FIG. 6 shows that the upper edges of side walls, end walls and transverse partition straps define lines which are coplanar.

As is most apparent in FIG. 5, transverse partitions 46 and 49, for example, are hinged at their inner ends to internal handle panel 42 while their opposite ,ends are secured by glue and anchor tabs 47-51 to side Wall 11.

Referring now to the blank shown in FIG. 7 (only the upper half of the blank is shown because the blank is symmetrical about score line 54) the primary modification in the blank is that interior handle panel 56 is reduced in width (see dimension labeled A) eliminating the finger access openings. The hinge structure or hinge line between the internal and external handle panels is also modified.

For example, exterior handle panel 58 hinged to central divider flap 59 is separated from internal handle panel 56 by short score lines 61 and 62 plus a relatively long through cut indicated by the reference numeral '63.

Transverse partition straps 64 and 66 hinged to internal panel 56 are similar to the straps of FIG. 1. The modified blank of FIG. 7 is first glued in accordance with the hatching pattern shown in FIG. 7; next, the interior handle panel 56 and its assembled partition straps 64 and 66 is rotated inwardly about short score lines 61 and 62 to the position shown in FIG. 8.

Additional glue is applied as shown. Next, the end Wall panel 67 and divider flap 68 are rotated inwardly about their respective score lines. Additional glue is applied according to the hatching pattern. Next, the lower half of the blank of FIG. 9 is rotated upwardly about score line 54 to generate the collapsed carton shown in FIG. 10.

The modified, collapsed carrier is erected in the usual way shearing necks 69-69 to develop the basket-style carrier shown in FIG. 11.

Note that interior handle panels 56--56, in the erect condition, terminate below lines 71-71 defining the lower margin of finger access openings 7272 and finger tabs 73-73.

The modified carrier represented in FIGS. 7 through 11 develops the same general co-planar structure described with respect to FIG. 1. However, the rearrangement of the internal and external handle panels effects a substantial reduction in board necessary to fabricate the blank.

The modified carrier blank represented in FIGS. 7

through 11 also provides .a device for lowering partition straps 64 and 66 relative to articles packaged in the finished carrier. For example, lowering the position of score lines 61 and 62 (reducing dimension A of FIG. 7) has the efiect of moving transverse partition straps '64 and 66 to a lower position in the erected carrier without changing the carrier side wall height or the overall height dimension of the carrier.

It is anticipated that a wide variety of modifications and design changes may be incorporated to develop other embodiments of the disclosed blank and carrier without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: a

1. A blank for a multicell basket-style bottle carrier including side walls, a bottom wall, end walls and central divider flaps, the improvement comprising: a combined multi-ply handle panel and partition section hinged to one central divider flap, said handle panel comprising an external ply having a plurality of finger access openings hinged directly to said divider flap and an internal ply hinged to the external ply supporting a plurality of nested, single ply transverse partition straps, said external panel being separated from said internal panel by a pair of relatively short score lines defining a hinge and a relatively long through cut, said hinge being offset from said through cut effective to offset said internal panel including its transverse partition straps relative to said finger access openings when the carrier is in the erect position.

2. A blank for a multicell basket-style bottle carrier including side walls, a bottom wall,'end walls and central divider flaps, the improvement comprising: a combined multi-ply handle panel and partition section hinged to one central divider flap, said handle panel comprising an external ply hinged directly to said divider flap and an internal ply hinged to the external ply supporting a pair of single ply transverse partition straps, each strap having a hinge end and a free end terminating in an anchor tab, the free end of one strap forming a cutout in the hinge end of the other so that said one strap is partially nested within said other strap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,778,526 1/1957 Forrer 220-113 2,844,280 7/1958 Ringler 220-113 2,920,791 1/19-60 Ringler 22()1l3 3,031,100 7/1962 Bundy et al. 220-113 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BLANK FOR A MULTICELL BASKET-STYLE BOTTLE CARRIER INCLUDING SIDE WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL, END WALLS AND CENTRAL DIVIDER FLAPS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A COMBINED MULTI-PLY HANDLE PANEL AND PARTITION SECTION HINGED TO ONE CENTRAL DIVIDER FLAP, SAID HANDLE PANEL COMPRISING AN EXTERNAL PLY HAVING A PLURALITY OF FINGER ACCESS OPENINGS HINGED DIRECTLY TO SAID DIVIDER FLAP AND AN INTERNAL PLY HINGED TO THE EXTERNAL PLY SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF NESTED, SINGLE PLY TRANSVERSE PARTITION STRAPS, SAID EXTERNAL PANEL BEING SEPARATED FROM SAID INTERNAL PANEL BY A PAIR OF RELATIVELY SHORT SCORE LINES DEFINING A HINGE AND A RELATIVELY LONG THROUGH CUT, SAID HINGE B EING OFFSET FROM SAID THROUGH CUT EFFECTIVE TO OFFSET SAID INTERNAL PANEL INCLUDING ITS TRANSVERSE PARTITION STRAPS RELATIVE TO SAID FINGER ACCESS OPENINGS WHEN THE CARRIER IS IN THE ERECT POSITION. 